


Can't pretend

by steelorchids



Series: Random Karedevil fics [9]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Karedevil - Fandom
Genre: Alternative uses of a bathroom, Alternative uses of a cab, Birthday Party, But not too focused on the party, Cake, Dancing, F/M, Fluff, Lots of it, Mrs. Nelson is a Karedevil shipper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:34:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21604897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steelorchids/pseuds/steelorchids
Summary: Matt and Karen attend Theo's birthday party, but the truth is they are more into each other than anything else.
Relationships: Matt Murdock & Karen Page, Matt Murdock/Karen Page
Series: Random Karedevil fics [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1195774
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	Can't pretend

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the song "Can't pretend", by Tom Odell.

It should be a universal rule that no one's birthday ever falls on a Monday, even more so if it's raining, but Theo's did. 

Foggy had left the office earlier to get the cake, and Matt and Karen would meet him at the Nelson's after they were done with the day's scheduled tasks. 

"What?" she asked from the far end of the rear seat. 

She had noticed that little smirk on his face which always meant he was up to something. 

"Nothing, you're just doing it again," he said with a failed attempt of hiding a full smile. 

They were on their way to the party and Karen was humming and dancing (with her head) the song that was playing on the radio, so distracted that she didn't pay attention to the fine drops scratching the car windows already. 

This was a new habit of hers. Matt was positive he would have noticed it before had she done that in their old office, but she had only started it a few weeks after the firm was reopened and he teased her every time trying to guess what the song was, which he never got right, by the way, and only ended up with her complaining about him interrupting "her happy moment". But the truth was that they both secretly loved the whole thing. 

"Oh my God, let me enjoy at least this one song, Murdock." 

"Don't get me wrong, Page, I'm not complaining. I'm actually enjoying that you're enjoying it."

She just smiled at him and shook her head. How he always found the right words to say at the right time was something that amazed her, even if he kept getting the song titles wrong.

"What kind of music do you like anyway? I don't think I've ever asked you that. And you don't seem to be familiar with what I listen to at all." 

"Not really, I'm more into the 80's and 90's pop and soft rock. I'm an old soul, you see." 

"I should've guessed, you're a hopeless romantic," she said playfully. 

"I'm lost, is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?" 

"How could that ever be an insult? It's great music." 

"I'll take it as a compliment then."

She sighed, giving up. As stubborn as she was, it was also fun when he "won" their tiny banters. It was so incredibly easy to be around him now. They had Matt again, not just dark, broken, isolated Matt, but all of him. And although it was great to spend hours together at the office and sometimes out for a drink with Foggy, she didn't dare to admit, not even to herself, how much she still missed him. 

Karen looked out the window and this time did notice how dark it had gotten. 

"It's getting worse, isn't it?" Matt asked, already knowing what the answer was. 

"Yes, and it's so windy too." 

"I hope you don't mind the rain."

And there he was again, saying those little stupid things that made her heart skip a beat, but didn't exactly confirm whether he ever thought of them getting back together. She sighed again and her cheeks blushed, and she hated that he could tell all her reactions, it was useless to even try to hide them. On top of that, she didn't have heightened senses nor could she read what was on his mind, at least not all the time, so the idea of mentioning the topic terrified her. 

"I don't, but we're gonna be soaked when we get there." 

Minutes later, almost as if the sky knew the exact moment they'd arrive, it was torrential. 

The cab pulled over on the opposite side, so the few feet they'd have to walk to cross the street and get to the door would be enough to get drenched. 

When they were ready to get off, Karen almost took her wallet out of her purse, but Matt put his palm on her wrist and stopped her. 

"Don't worry. I got it. Besides, I still owe you from my rent."

Rent. She hadn't thought about that in months. 

"And…" he continued as he took his jacket off to hand it to her, "Here, use it. Hopefully it'll keep your hair dry." 

The smile he gave her next was genuine and radiant. 

Another skipped beat. 

Damn it. 

"You are so old school, you know?" 

"I thought you said I was a romantic." 

"Yeah… a hopeless one," she said as she opened the door to get out of the car. 

Matt paid, thanked the driver, and then followed Karen. They had to wait on the sidewalk because a lot of cars were passing by. When they were finally on the other side of the street, Karen's heels as well as the lower part of her skirt were completely wet, but it was nothing compared to poor Matt, whose hair was anything but fluffy by now, and his shirt could be easily squeezed. 

"Oh my God, Matt, look at you," she told him, feeling guilty. 

"It's fine. This would've been you if you hadn't had the jacket."

"Come on, everyone is probably here already." 

She tugged his hand and guided him through the porch. He was cold, but her fingertips against his palm warmed him up, even if it was only during the few seconds it took them to get to the front door, which is when she pulled away to ring the bell. 

He wondered when he'd finally find the courage to talk to her. Sure he read the signs in her whenever they were close, when he said something that she happened to like, or when they unconsciously and sometimes accidentally touched; every minute they spent together his love for her grew a little deeper and it was becoming harder and harder to pretend that he didn't want more than just her friendship. But the fear of learning upfront that she'd rather not getting involved with a man as complicated as he was invaded him and kept him from making a move. 

The joyful voices inside the house shook his thoughts away. Karen was right. Everyone was there, indeed. The sound of the street and the downpour outside highly contrasted with lots of laughter, the smell of food and alcohol and, of course, the music. 

Foggy was the one who answered the door. He had a beer in one hand and a cheese ball in the other. 

"Hey, you guys made it! Jesus, Matt! You're gonna catch a cold." 

"I really hope he doesn't," Karen said as they both walked into the entrance hall.

"I'll be fine," he told them. 

Theo and Mrs. Nelson approached them, also carrying drinks. 

"Happy birthday, Theo!" Karen told him warmly and gave him a hug. 

"Thanks, Karen. I appreciate you guys coming. It's raining cats and dogs out there." 

"Oh no problem at all. Thanks for inviting us," Karen told him. 

"Happy birthday, buddy. I think I'll owe you the hug," Matt joked. 

"Sure, that can totally wait," Theo answered. 

"Oh dear, it's awful outside. You two should go upstairs, there are towels in the bathroom. I'll get you a dry shirt, Matt," Mrs. Nelson intervened. 

"It's okay…" 

"It's fine, really… " 

"Not okay, not fine," she told them. "You need to get dry clothes, and you, sweety, you need to get those feet warm. Or I'll have to send you both soup tomorrow morning." 

Karen blushed a little at her concern and had no other choice but to accept. 

"Okay, then. Thank you, Anna," Matt agreed too, immediately heading to the bathroom upstairs while holding Karen's elbow. 

"They make such a lovely couple, don't they?" she whispered at Foggy when Matt and Karen were at a safe distance, except she didn't know Matt could still hear her. 

"I've told you, mom, they used to date. Not anymore," Foggy answered. 

"Nonsense. I can feel the butterflies myself whenever I see them," Mrs. Nelson continued, taking another sip from her glass. 

"Me too. You should help them, Fog. Maybe talk to them?" Theo said. 

"You too, Theo? Stop trying to fix everyone's lives. They'll figure it out on their own eventually, I guess… and hope," Foggy admitted. 

"See? You want them together too. We should set them up! Like in the movies. Wouldn't that be romantic?" Mrs. Nelson suggested very excitedly. 

"Mom, I think you've had enough drinks for today." 

________________

Matt closed the door behind them and Karen looked around, immediately spotting the towels on her left. 

She took two from the shelf and handed one to Matt. 

"Thank you," he told her softly. 

He seemed a little bit distracted ever since they arrived and she was worried she might have said something inappropriate back in the car. 

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You seem off."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he assured her, unconvincingly. 

"Alright." 

Karen could see right through him and she knew something must have been bothering him, but decided not to pry. She had breached his walls more than once, often with good results, but maybe it was time to let him do it himself for a change. If he really trusted her, he'd talk to her at some point. 

She leaned against the wall and bent down slightly in order to take her heels off and start rubbing the towel on her legs and feet. She was glad she had not chosen her corduroy boots earlier that morning since they would have taken forever to dry.

Matt had a bigger towel, but slowly pressing it against his chest and his arms, which is what he was doing, was simply pointless. 

Karen laughed at the image of him and instantly forgot whatever she was thinking about a few seconds before. His hair was damp, there were drops of water on his glasses, on his face and on his neck, and the wet fabric of his shirt was tight to his skin. She stood up straight and walked up to Matt.

"What are you doing? Don't you think you should start with your head first? Here, let me help you." 

When she was close enough, and without asking permission, she gently took his glasses off and placed them on the shelf, an action that took him by surprise. There was an intimacy about such a small gesture that delighted him. And he wasn't exactly used to being taken care of either, so when she grabbed another towel and started carefully patting on his face, he closed his eyes and he simply knew. 

He had no idea how they could make things work, he was sure he didn't deserve anything from her, he wasn't worthy of even asking for a second chance, and all he had to offer was the disaster man that he had become, but he knew in his heart that he loved her more than anything and that he was willing to fight for her, for them. 

When she reached his neck, he bowed his head. His hair almost touched her chin and that's when she realized just how close they were. Her cheeks immediately got warm again and her thoughts about breaching walls came back. 

"Uh, sorry, maybe I should just… let you do it…" she told him shyly. 

"No, it's okay. It feels… nice… being with you." 

His voice was much softer, and she felt his fingers getting laced with hers. His sole touch was enough to make her heart race. 

He took the towels that they were both holding and let them fall on the floor, making space for him to lean in and close the only space that was left between them. There was no music, no voices around anymore, it was just her with her warmth and her scent. 

"I'm becoming really bad at this," he finally said after what it seemed like an eternity. 

"At what?" she asked. There was no way she'd let him hide from her. Not now, not when they were like this. She would ask every question. 

He pressed his forehead against hers, and the back of his other hand was now slowly going up her arm, giving her goosebumps as the trail grew longer. 

"I'm becoming really bad at acting like I don't feel what I feel for you, Karen. You have shaken and helped me rebuild every bit of me, which I'll be forever grateful for. I can't remember any time in which I was happier than when we were together, but at the same time I feel so selfish just to think of any possibility of being with you because I know I hurt you so badly. It just terrifies me. I know who I am and I'd never forgive myself if I ruined it again… "

"Hey…" she interrupted him placing her thumb on his lips, "enough with the self-pity, ok? We all make mistakes, Matt, and it is thanks to who you are, every bit of you, that I believe in myself again, that I'm actually happy for the first time in years and I'm terrified too, but... I can't hide it either." 

He smiled at her because that's exactly how he felt with her too. She started caressing his jawline and he needed no more invitation than that. He kissed her hand first, then her forehead. His lips kept sweetly going down her face, pecking on her temple, her ear, her cheek, until their mouths met at last, after all this time, on a deep and long kiss that took them out of this world. 

There was nothing he could hear, smell or taste other than her heartbeat, her skin, and her tongue. And she… she was floating between his arms, so lightly she could no longer feel her body, she could only feel him. 

When he reluctantly but barely broke the kiss, still holding her tightly and smiling against her lips, they were able to breathe again. The air was impregnated by his scent and it was both filling her lungs and giving her weightless body a physical form again. 

"You're still all drenched… always protecting me," she remembered. 

"I'll never stop," he whispered and kissed her cheek one more time. 

Matt then tilted his head, listening to whatever was happening behind the bathroom's door. 

"What, what is it?" Karen asked. 

She also seemed to have forgotten there were people in the house. How long had they been locked here anyway? She had lost track of time. 

"It's Anna. She's bringing some clothes."

Karen quickly put her shoes back on while Matt picked up the towels from the floor. Then he headed to the door after hearing the expected knocks. 

"Hi, there. Is everything okay? I brought you some clothes. These are brand new, Matt. Ed bought them hoping he'd be able to wear them after losing some weight and guess what? He's actually gained weight after that!" she said with a shrug. "So I think they should suit you." 

"Anything dry will do. Thank you, dear," Matt told her. 

"Do you need anything, sweety?" she asked Karen. 

"Oh no, thank you, I'm fine. I'll be out in just a minute." 

"Don't take too long. You don't wanna miss the party…" she said as she theatrically closed the door. 

Karen noticed a suspicious look on her face and then glanced at Matt. 

"What was that about? You should've seen her face. I would swear she actually wanted us to stay here," she told Matt in secret, afraid that Anna might still be close. 

Matt didn't appear to be surprised at all. 

"Well, she may have mentioned something about us before we came up here." 

"She did?! What did she say?" 

"Something about setting us up, but I think that won't be necessary, will it?" he said with a smile on his face. 

Karen just giggled quietly. 

"I guess we were being too obvious if a woman we don't even see that often was already making plans for us." 

"I guess, but Anna has a keen eye for these things. I bet she could tell how much I love you the moment we showed up in her living room."

Karen gasped a little and felt her eyes getting teary. The last thing she could have imagined when she woke up earlier in the morning was that she was going to be locked inside a bathroom, victims of the rain, with Matt kissing her and telling her he loves her. 

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed deeply, probably trying to process what she had just heard from him. 

He sensed her reaction and hated that he had let it slip that way, he wished he had found a better moment, a more romantic way to tell her, one in which she wouldn't feel awkward or pressured to say the same words back. 

But again, he could no longer pretend. And it was so simple to be himself around her now. So he moved closer to her and hugged her by her waist. 

"You don't have to say anything, ok? Yes, I love you, Karen, and I'm very, very glad it was raining so hard when we got off that car so this could happen." 

"Damn it, do we really have to attend that party?" she complained. 

Matt laughed. He felt really flattered she wanted to continue spending time with him instead. 

"Mmm I'm afraid we do. What do you say if we, uh…? After all this…" 

"Your place, yes. I'd love that," she whispered, cupping his face, still glued to him. 

"We can always try to escape a little earlier…" he suggested innocently. 

She laughed again. 

"We can definitely try that," she answered. 

"Alright, I should probably get changed." 

She nodded and pulled away. 

"And by the way, the sweater is red. It will totally suit you," she told him playfully as she walked out the door. "I'll see you downstairs." 

________________

The Nelson's were certainly special. Karen had never met such lighthearted people. Whether she met them individually or in groups, they always lifted her spirit and made her day better. 

She was laughing at something Mr. Nelson had said when Matt showed up next to her. She didn't know if it was Mrs. Nelson's keen eye or the fact that he was in such great shape, but he looked amazing in those jeans and sweater she had lent him. 

"Hey!" she greeted him. 

She had to control the impulse of taking his hand, almost forgetting the fact that no one knew about them yet. It was still their little secret, one that they could play with at least during the party. 

"Mr. Nelson was telling me about Foggy. Did you know he was the winner of 4 spelling bee contests? By age 8!"

"Really? How come he never told me that?" 

"The poor thing was heartbroken on his last contest. He was in love with a girl who also used to bully him. Can you believe that? And on the last day he got so nervous that he got the worst score."

"That was the end of it. He never wanted to participate in any other," Mr. Nelson added. 

"Man, that's terrible," Matt said. 

Foggy overheard the conversation as he was coming their way with beers for his friends. It wasn't the first time his dad told that embarrassing story. 

"Please don't tell me you're going over that stupid story again, dad!" 

"You see? 25 years later and he's not over her yet," Mr. Nelson teased, making Matt and Karen giggle. 

"What was her name, Foggy?" Karen inquired, with the sole purpose of bothering him and not really out of curiosity. 

"Ah stop it, Karen. You don't want me to talk about my childhood love history with my fiancé across the room. Which reminds me… Matt, come with me, uh, we'll get some snacks." 

"Okay…" 

Karen saw when Foggy grabbed his arm and pulled him to the kitchen, but they were out of her sight before she could say anything. There was something fishy about his sudden behavior, but decided not to pay too much attention to it, instead, she entertained herself watching Theo learning new dance steps from his 7-year-old niece. Everyone had surely had a lot of drinks already. 

At the kitchen, Foggy confronted Matt. 

"Dude, what's up with you and Karen?" 

This was probably an obvious question on a regular day at the office, but they had barely been seen "in public" today. 

"Uh, what… what do you mean?" 

"My mom won't stop talking about it. First, she was driving me and Marci crazy about the engagement, then about the wedding, but now she wants me to be your matchmaker! I need to know if you're ever planning to make a move with her" 

Matt burst out laughing. That lady did have an eye for things. 

"Why are you laughing? It's not funny. She won't stop bugging me. She is already planning another party so that you guys can come together." 

"Don't worry, Fog. Just tell her that… we're working on it."

"Working on it, figuring yourselves out, not labeling it… This has been going on forever! I see you guys flirting and being all awkward all the time, but nothing's ever gonna happen if you don't actually do something." 

"I'm sorry, Foggy, do you really think this is the right time to talk about this?" 

"Oh my God, you're evading me again. My mom is going to drive me insane!" 

"So you want me to work this out with Karen just so your mom stops bugging you? That's kind of selfish, you know?" he told him as he continued drinking from his bottle. 

"Ha! You're funny, Murdock. Of course I want you guys to be together! C'mon, you're both better when you're around each other, and well, I wouldn't mind a double date every now and then. Does that make me too selfish?" 

Matt smiled at him and hated he couldn't be upfront with his friend yet. He was sure Karen would agree on telling him first thing tomorrow morning. 

"Not at all, Foggy. I appreciate it. And I'll do something about it. Trust me." 

"Really? You will? Am I missing something here? If had known it would be so easy I would've talked to you before." 

Matt laughed. 

"I'll keep you posted, Foggy." 

In that moment Mrs. Nelson came towards them ready to put her plan into action. 

"What are you two silly men doing back here when there are ladies in the living room and there's music playing?!" she scolded. "Foggy, Marci will surely dump you if you don't pay attention to her, and Matt, I'd love to see such a handsome man like you dance with Karen. I wish you could see how gorgeous she is. C'mon, they must be bored to death hearing Ed's stories."

It was obvious that this was by far wrong because Matt could hear both Karen and Marci talking and laughing with Ed, but he still wouldn't mind interrupting them if that meant he'd get a chance to dance with Karen. 

"I'll be more than happy to, Anna. Would you walk me to her?" 

Foggy rolled his eyes. He knew Matt had to pretend he was a regular blind man in need, but he'd never understand how every woman on earth thought this was a charming trait. 

"Oh sure, honey," Mrs. Nelson replied, leading him to the party in the living room. 

_______________

Foggy left his beer on the coffee table and went to Marci. He stood up straight in front of her, left hand behind his back, right hand extended forward, palm up, as a sign of petition. 

"Shall we dance, my lady?" he asked gracefully. 

"Oh yes, my lord," Marci answered happily. 

Karen, amused and touched by her friends' silly and cute act, smiled as she looked at them, and her eyes followed them as they joined Theo and his niece at the improvised dance floor. It still amazed her how, being so different, Foggy and Marci made such an adorable couple. 

Mrs. Nelson then brought Matt to her and had him sit next to her on the couch. She asked Mr. Nelson to go to the dining room with her after whispering something on Matt's ear. 

Karen waited until they were far enough so their words could be concealed under the music. 

"She seems serious about this 'setting up' thing," Karen teased. 

"She is very serious, in fact, she made me promise I would not leave the house without dancing with you tonight." 

"She did?!" Kare laughed. "Did she consider if I wanted to dance?" 

"Well, that's the thing, in case you didn't want to, I'd have to convince you," he told her with a smile on his face, and then extended his hand towards her. "Would you dance with me, Karen?"

He could sense the smile on her face too, and loved to feel her hand gently land on his.

"I'd love to," she told him.

They stood up and this time Karen "guided" him across the living room. It was a perfect song, not too fast, not too slow, but they were both a bit shy at first.

Matt could feel Mrs. Nelson look on them and felt a little pressured, so he focused on Karen's scent instead, her slightly shaking hand and the touch of her fingers on the back of his neck. This helped him relax and feel more comfortable. Then he held her close to him, his hand firmly pressed against her lower back, and his head just a couple inches from hers, with a desire to kiss her that grew each second. They swayed at their own rhythm and enjoyed this proximity until the song ended.

They pulled away a little, but made no effort to let go of their interlaced fingers. They barely heard someone loudly announce "Cake!" and everyone immediately ran to the dining room.

"Do you want cake?" Karen asked.

"I think I'm good. You?"

"I'll pass."

"Let's go, then, before anyone notices."

Karen laughed quietly and grabbed her purse from the couch. It took them less than a minute to get to the sidewalk, and luckily, a cab passed by right away. It wasn't raining anymore.

After the cake was served, everyone started spreading around the house again.

"Where are Matt and Karen?" Marci was the first one to ask.

"No idea, they didn't say anything about leaving early. Although, maybe..." Foggy said, remembering their little talk back in the kitchen.

"I told you, Foggy. The butterflies," said Mrs. Nelson, who had just happily sat down to enjoy her piece of cake next to her husband.

"Right, the butterflies..." Foggy reflected, with a sudden shock of joy inside.

_______________

On the way back home there was no music, it was just her, wrapped around his arms, leaning on his chest and kissing him softly here and there, her scent all over the place.

“I love you, too,” she whispered to his ear, almost as if continuing their previously interrupted one-on-one bathroom meeting.

He smiled, held her even more tightly and kissed her passionately.

They didn't care if the taxi driver was uncomfortable. It would be a short trip anyway, and they had hidden their love from each other and from the world for too long already.

From now on, he wouldn't let a day go by without telling her how much he loved her.


End file.
